As an alfalfa stand ages and thins, the primary question becomes: Is this stand good enough to keep? Now is a good time to evaluate stands as more time is allowed for planning crop rotations than when stands are evaluated in the spring and determined to be uneconomic.

Over time with many common farming practices, we start to lose some of those minerals to insolubility, erosion or crop exportation. As with sentences, a soil's integrity can deteriorate as these minerals are depleted, leading to reduced plant health, more pest pressure and overall harvest productivity decline.

The most effective weed control programs for summer annual weeds in many crops include herbicides that deliver long-lasting, residual weed control.

Producers who have crops and livestock are finding that annual crops can fill some grazing gaps and help get the soil in better health before replanting a pasture or the next crop.

Which of these five mistakes for fall planting alfalfa have you made?

Interseeding and overseeding are often used interchangeably but can have distinct management implications.

Spring seedings provide optimal temperatures and moisture for the establishment and growth of alfalfa.

Traditional annuals and more exotic cocktail cover-crop mixtures can make great forage for cattle on a temporary basis, but over the long haul, a good stand of perennial pasture can be the best choice.